JEM’s Land Grant Films Creates Veteran Documentaries for East Tennessee PBS
East Tennessee PBS will air five microdocumentaries on area veterans created by UT School of Journalism students, Land Grant Films, and UT’s WUOT-FM.
A release of the microdocumentaries began on Facebook and YouTube in late October. WUOT aired the audio versions October 29 through November 2 along with original content from interviews with East Tennessee veterans.
The microdocumentaries will be compiled into a half-hour show that airs on East Tennessee PBS at 4 p.m. Sunday, November 11, and 5 p.m. Sunday, November 18.
“This project was a great opportunity for us to work with East Tennessee PBS and WUOT to highlight the work being done by organizations to help veterans transition back to their communities,” said Nick Geidner, associate professor of journalism and electronic media and director of Land Grant Films. “Students were able to get experience producing, filming, and editing microdocumentaries that will be published nationally.”
The documentaries are a part of the Veterans Coming Home series, a collaborative multiplatform public media project of Wisconsin Public Television and Kindling Group in partnership with local stations and other national organizations. Veterans Coming Home is made possible with support from the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.
The microdocumentaries feature Project Healing Waters, Smoky Mountain Service Dogs, UT’s Veteran Resource Center, the Lady Vets group at UT, and veterans in rural Campbell County.
The Lady Vets and Project Healing Waters pieces will be used as the basis of an episode of Tennessee Life, a monthly 30-minute program that shares stories of Tennesseans.
“Working with the veterans that I filmed was a great experience,” said Isaac Ward, a graduate student in journalism and electronic media. “Being able to listen to their stories really gives you a different perspective on life. These organizations are doing great things, and it’s up to all of us to help them get the exposure they deserve so that more vets can be helped.”
Geidner created Land Grant Films in the School of Journalism and Electronic Media to give students hands-on experience in documentary storytelling while providing video assets to local nonprofit organizations.
To view the microdocumentaries, visit Veterans Coming Home.